Ashton's visit to Kyiv is not substitution for Cox-Kwasniewski mission - European Commission

The upcoming visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton to Kyiv is not aimed at replacing the Cox-Kwasniewski mission, Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said at a briefing in Brussels on Monday.

"This is a mission of the European Parliament. We have been very supportive of this mission, but again this is a visit of the high representative [Ashton] in support of the political solution of the current crisis, and I wouldn't make a direct link between the two," Kocijancic said, answering a question as to whether Ashton's visit will replace the Cox-Kwasniewski mission.

Ashton will go to Kyiv accompanied by a small delegation but without EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, she said.

Speaking about the date of a possible visit of a Ukrainian delegation for talks on the Association Agreement, Kocijancic said that the date is so far unknown.

Ashton will visit Ukraine on December 10-11. She is expected to meet Ukraine's governmental officials, opposition figures and representatives of civil society.

According to Kocijancic, Ashton's main purpose of the visit is "to support a way out of the political crisis in Ukraine" and "to request investigations into the violence that we have seen against peaceful protestors."